Concrete pipe vibrator



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Dec. l10, 1968 H. Nl DOUGLAS CONCRETE PIPE VIBRATOR INVENTOR. /V. a//HAS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Han/Ae@ Filed July 27, 1966 United States Patent O 3,414,952 @ONCRECE PIPE VEBRATR Howard N. Dougias, Chico, Calif. (S50 Vandenberg Circle, Rosevilie, Calif. Filed .l'uly 27, 1966, Ser. No. 568,342

9 Claims. (1. "2S-30) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLGSURE This invention relates to an apparatus for making cast concrete pipe and in particular to an apparatus including a novel vibrating apparatus and including means for distributing air to the vibrating means.

It is known in the prior art to convey fluent concrete or other settable material into a mold form in the manufacture of pipe sections. It is also known in the prior art to provide means for vibrating the forms to produce a more densely packed pipe wall with its resultant advantages as to strength and continuity. Mechanical vibrators of the type which may be used are described in Patent No. 2,875,988. Other types of vibratory motors have also been used. It is known in the prior art to cast pipes of the type contemplated by this invention in the vertical position, as described in Patent No. 2,870,513 for example. It is also known in the prior art to produce cast concrete pipe by rotating a cylindrical mold form in the horizontal plane. Problems and disadvantages have been encountered in the prior art with respect tomeans for attaching and operating vibratory motors for compacting the uent material during the formation of the pipe. Production has often been limited by lack of adequate facilities since `eachsection of the pipe must be made one at a time in a mold form. It is common practice to occupy an entire machine during the production of a single section of pipe. It is an object of this invention to provide a vibratory cast pipe manufacturing apparatus including interchangeable mold forms and means for interconnect ing the mold forms and vibratory apparatus with a source of power for the vibratory motors.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a noyel yoke interconnecting means for vibratory cast pipe manufacturing machines.

Another object of this invention is the provision of novel yoke and air conduit interconnecting means and joints for supplying air to air-driven vibratory motors secured to a cast pipe mold form.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following specification and drawings to which reference is made and from the specific embodiments included therein as exemplary of the invention.

In thedrawings:

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the apparatus of this invention shown in partial cross section.

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the apparatus of this invention showing the yoke distributing means.

FIGURE 3 is a side view detail in partial cross section of the rotary joint means interconnecting the air supply line and the yoke of this invention.

With reference now to FIGURES 1 and 2 in particular, the invention'includes a mold form 10 which is generally cylindrical and may provide at one end means for form- "ice ing a female joint portion and at the other end means for forming a male joint portion on the section of pipe to be manufactured. The female end of the cylindrical mold form is partially closed by a ring 12 which functions to prevent escape of the lluent material and to form the female portion of the joint. The male end of the mold form may be partially closed by a. ring 14 which serves to prevent the escape of fluent material. During manufacture, uent material such as concrete is introduced into the cylinder 10 which is rotated by means to be described. The rapid rotation of the cylindrical mold form 10 evenly distributes the fluent material about the periphery of the mold to form a cylindrical pipe section. If desired, the interior of the pipe may be smoothed by manually or otherwise introducing a rod therein to provide a smooth surface; however, with the apparatus of this invention it is generally unnecessary to smooth the interior of the pipe segment. The means for rotating the cylindrical mold form about its axis, which lies generally in the horizontal plane includes two drive rings 16 and 18 which surround and are secured to the cylindrical mold form 10. Wheels 20 and 22 are driven by shaft 24, which is journaled in bearing 28 on a support post 30. Wheels 20 and 22 engage drive rings 16, 18 and thereby support and rotatably drive the cylindrical mold form 10 at a desired velocity.

On generally opposite sides of the mold form are located a plurality of vibratory motors 32, 34 and 36 on one side, and 3S, 40 and 42 on the opposite side. These vibratory motors which may be of the type disclosed in the above-named patents are of conventional manufacture known in the prior art, are secured to the exterior of the cylindrical mold form by double brackets 44, 46 and 48 on one side and 50, 52. and 54 on the opposite side including pins 56. A manifold conduit S8 distributes air to motors 32, 34 and 36 and a manifold conduit 60 distributes air to motors 3S, 40 and 42 by means of individual conduits 62 and 64.

The manifold conduits end proximate the end of the cylindrical mold form at couplings 66 and 68 which, in the preferred embodiment, may be the female portion of a slidable coupling. A yoke '70 having individual conduits 72 and 74 which terminate in male coupling portions 76 and 78 is slidably received in the ends of the manifold conduits. A rotatable seal 80, which will be described in greater detail, provides interconnection between the yoke 70 and a source of air pressure entering from conduit S2.

FIGURE 3 shows the rotatable seal 30 in greater detail. The seal 80 comprises a cylindrical conduit member which is closed at its exterior end by a plate 102 and is open at its interior end and in communicating relationship with the yoke 70. Near the exterior end of the cylindrical conduit 100 are located a plurality of apertures 104 in the wall of the cylinder. The apertures are surrounded and enclosed by a conduit ring 106 which in communicating relationship with sleeve 108 and nipple 110 leading to the hose 82 and a source of air pressure. It will thus be seen that air enters from hose 32 through nipple 110 to the ring conduit 106 and apertures 104 through the cylindrical conduit 100 to yoke 70 and, as shown in FIGURE 1, through the couplings shown at 66 and 68 to the manifold conduits 58 and 60 and thence to the air actuatable motors.

Since the yoke is selectively secured to the cylindrical mold form and rotates therewith it is necessary to provide a rotatable seal between the nipple 110 and the yoke 70. This slidable sealing relationship is provided by a gasket seal 112 and washer 114 securing ring conduit 106 in position. Seal 112 .and washer 114 are held by lock nuts 116 at the exterior end of the cylindrical conduit 100. The cylindrical conduit is surrounded at its interior end by a generally cylindrical receiving member 118 which is secured to the yoke by bolts 120. A seal is formed between the yoke 70 and member 118 by a gasket 122. A gasket seal 124, which preferably is made of leather, is compressed between ring conduit 106 and bearing ring 126 which is stationary. Bearing ring 128 is secured to and rotates with the receiving cylindrical member 118. A raceway is provided in the bearing rings 126 and 128 to hold a plurality of balls 130. A threaded retaining plate 132 is threadably received and secured to the receiving cylindrical member 118. Lock nuts 116 compress the members which surround the cylindrical conduit 100 against the retaining ring 132. A similar bearing is formed by a revolving bearing ring 134 and a stationary bearing ring 136 receiving ball bearings 138 in a track therebetween. The second bearing is secured in place by a retaining ring 140 which is fastened to the cylindrical conduit 100 by set screws 142. A seal 144 and a felt ring 146 are provided proximate the `open end of the cylindrical conduit 100. Thus it will be seen that the cylindrical conduit 100 remains stationary while the yoke and receiving cylindrical member 118 with the associated bearings and receiving elements rotate thereabout.

Spring loaded grease fittings are also provided, according to good mechanical practice, in cylinder 118 to lubricate the raceways and bearings, but are not shown for clarity.

In some instances it may be desirable to provide a quick fastening and releasing setup for the yoke. This is shown in FIGURE 1 and includes a pair of brackets 148 secured to the form, a hook 150 extending through an aperture in the brackets and a pair of jam nuts 151 threadably received on the bolt portion of hook 150 for selectively positioning it in the bracket. The hook is selectively engaged by an over-center fastener including loop 152, body 153, pivot apertures 154 in body 153 and a handle 155. The fastener is secured to the yoke by a bracket 156.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that there are several important advantages to the apparatus described hereinbefore. The yoke with its accompanying rotatable seal and slidable coupling with the manifold elements of the invention provides for easy selective connect and disconnect of a power source with the vibratory motors on the outer periphery of the mold form. The mold form may be placed in position and filled with a fluent material while the form is being rotated and vibrated. As soon as the fluent material becomes sufficiently set the mold form may be removed and set aside for curing and a similar form may be placed in position for production of an additional segment of pipe. Air pressure may be introduced through the novel yoke and sealing joint into the air actuatable vibratory motors.

Other important advantages will also become apparent to those skilled in the art.

While the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments and specific structures it will be realized that the embodiments are given as merely exemplary and departure in structural details may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is intended to be defined only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A pipe casting apparatus comprising, in combination, a generally cylindrical exterior mold form for receiving uent material,

means to rotate the mold form about its axis generally in a horizontal plane,

a plurality of air actuatable vibrating motors,

means securing the vibrating motors to the exterior of the mold form,

conduits separately connected to the vibrating motors terminating adjacent one end of the mold form at relatively diverse points,

conduit means forming a yoke,

coupling means for interconnecting the yoke and the ends of the conduits,

an air inlet conduit,

a conduit joint for rotatably interconnecting the air inlet conduit and the yoke for transmitting air through the yoke to the air actuatable vibrating motors,

said coupling means for interconnecting the yoke and the ends of the conduits connected to the motors comprising intertting male and female elements on the motor conduits and the yoke conduits, and

quick detachable fasteners securing said yoke to said mold form with said male and female elements in sealed communication with each other.

2. The invention of claim 1 wherein the vibrating motors are mounted on approximately opposite sides of the mold form.

3. The invention of claim 1 wherein the mold form includes means for forming a female joint portion on one end of the pipe.

4. The invention of claim 1 including three approximately equally spaced vibrating motors on each of two generally opposite sides of the mold form.

5. The invention of claim 1 further including a retaining ring at each end of the mold form partially closing the ends thereof.

6. A pipe casting apparatus comprising, in combination,

a generally cylindrical exterior mold form for receiving fluent material,

means to rotate the mold form about its axis generally in a horizontal plane,

a plurality of air actuatable vibrating motors,

means securing the vibrating motors to the exterior of the mold form,

conduits separately connected to the vibrating motors terminating adjacent one end of the mold form `at relatively diverse points,

conduit means forming a yoke,

coupling means for interconnecting the yoke and the ends of the conduits,

an air inlet conduit,

a conduit joint for rotatably interconnecting the air inlet conduit and the yoke for transmitting air through the yoke to the air actuatable vibrating motors,

said conduit joint interconnecting the air inlet conduit and the yoke comprises a central conduit cylinder closed at its exterior end and in open communication relationship to the yoke at its interior end and including a plurality of apertures in the conduit cylinder wall proximate the closed end,

ring conduit means surrounding the conduit cylinder in enclosing communication relation with the apertures in the conduit cylinder wall,

a receiving cylindrical member secured to the yoke surrounding the conduit cylinder, and

sealing means between the receiving cylinder and the conduit cylinder forming an essentially air tight rotatable seal therebetween to permit the receiving cylindrical member to rotate about the conduit cylinder.

7. The invention of claim 6 wherein the sealing means includes a plurality of disks surrounding the conduit cylinder secured alternately to the conduit cylinder and the receiving cylindrical member in overlapping slidable relationship with each other.

8. The invention of claim 7 wherein the yoke-conduit coupling comprises a male element and a female element for slidably receiving the male element.

9. The invention of claim 8 including three vibrating motors on each of two generally opposite sides of the mold form, a retaining ring at each end of the mold form par- 3,414,952 5 6 tially closing the ends thereof and wherein the mold form 2,822,598 2/ 1958 Chanlund et al. includes means for forming a female joint portion on one 3,012,298 12/ 1961 Ramsey et al. end of the pipe and a male joint porti-on on the opposite 3,323,188 6/1967 Abbott.

end 0f the PiPe J. SPENCER ovERHoLsER, Primary Examiner.

References Cited DE WALDEN W. JONES, Assistant Examiner. UNITED STATES PATENTS Us C1 XR 2,703,916 3/1955 Butler. 259-81 

